"I don't want to face any balls - keep going"- Will Jacks reveals conversation with Virat Kohli during his sensational IPL 2024 hundred
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Will Jacks hit a sensational hundred against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad during their IPL 2024 fixture on April 28. He scored his hundred off just 41 balls and veteran batter Virat Kohli at the other end was awe-struck with the incredible hitting on display.
It wasn't a fluent start, by any means, to Jack's innings as he had scored just 17 runs in his first 17 balls. However, he revealed how Kohli backed him to take on the GT bowlers and that helped the England batter begin the carnage by taking down Mohit Sharma.
Here's what Will Jacks told ESPNCricinfo about his partnership with Virat Kohli:
"Once I got my fifty, Virat was like, 'I don't want to face any balls - keep going.' When Mohit Sharma came on [in the 15th over], that was my match-up. I was going to take him down there, because I'd faced him for three or four balls before and I'd got a good eye of him. I knew that was my time, and after that there was no reason to stop."
Will Jacks also claimed that he had not realized he could get to his hundred until RCB needed just seven runs to win and he needed twelve to get to his milestone. He smashed Rashid Khan for back-to-back sixes and Virat Kohli at the other end was overjoyed and pleasantly surprised to see his teammate get to his maiden IPL hundred.
Will Jacks on Virat Kohli's reaction to his hundred
A picture of Virat Kohli watching a monstrous six from Will Jacks in admiration went viral on social media and that made the England all-rounder feel grateful. He felt that to achieve his maiden IPL hundred alongside such a legend of the game was the icing on the cake.
On this, Jacks stated:
"I've always known I've been good enough, but to really dominate like that just lets everyone else know what I can do. But to do it with Virat, and have him hyping me up like that? It's special."
Will Jacks agreed that the hundred made him an overnight sensation not just among the RCB fans but also in the IPL. He was on the bench for the first five games and that made his hundred even more special as he made an instant impact.